HONG KONG, July 31, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by HKTDC, the 29th Food Expo, the 10th Hong Kong International Tea Fair, the third Beauty & Wellness Expo and the fifth Home Delights Expo open on 16 Aug at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), jointly organised by HKTDC and the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association Ltd, will also be held on 16-17 Aug. Last year, the four fairs attracted nearly 500,000 visitors. Gathering a total of more than 2,000 exhibitors this year, the four fairs will showcase a wide variety of delicacies and innovative products to provide an all-round shopping and sourcing experience for consumers and trade buyers.

At today's press conference, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau introduced details of the five events. "The annual Food Expo is a grand feast for food lovers, and this year it will feature products from more than 20 countries and regions. For the concurrent Beauty & Wellness Expo, we are honoured to cooperate with the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) to set up the K-Beauty Expo Hong Kong pavilion for the first time, showing public visitors the latest Korean beauty products. Targeting industry players and trade buyers, the Food Expo's Trade Hall, the International Tea Fair and the ICMCM will provide a platform for sourcing and networking, creating business opportunities among different sectors. In addition to bringing an international gourmet feast to visitors, we hope to enhance the cultural exchange between Hong Kong and other regions as well."

Food Expo: Serving up Global Delicacies (16-20 Aug)

In its 29th edition, the Food Expo will feature a record number of more than 1,560 exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions. It comprises a Gourmet Zone, Public Hall and Trade Hall, bringing a wide range of international food and drinks to food lovers and trade buyers.

Being the highlight of the expo, the Gourmet Zone will gather more than 70 exhibitors to showcase delicacies from around the globe under four themes: Asian Cuisine, Western Delicacy, Sweet Delight and Green Palate. Open from 16-19 Aug, the zone will feature high-end products such as black truffle, crafted beer made in Hong Kong, plant-based Omnipork and award-winning low-fat cheese from the Netherlands.

The Public Hall (16-20 Aug) will gather about 600 exhibitors and feature five group pavilions from the Chinese mainland, Canada, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The highlighted Premium Food Zone will feature more than 30 renowned brands including Chewy International, Kee Wah Bakery, Maxim's Group, Nissin Foods, On Kee Dry Seafood, Tai Pan, Vita Green, Sau Tao, Appolo and Aji-No-Chinmi. To promote local produce, the Hong Kong Vegetable Marketing Organisation and Fish Marketing Organisation will participate in the expo to introduce high-quality local products. Other special products available include the "made-in-Hong Kong" crispy fish skin, soya sauce crab from Korea and healthy chicken breast chips.

The Trade Hall will showcase international flavours from more than 900 exhibitors, with 12 group pavilions as well as the themed Halal Food Zone and Chinese Medicine Zone. Targeting trade buyers, it will provide a platform for business opportunities as well as market information exchange. It will open exclusively to industry professionals on 16-17 Aug, before opening its doors to public ticket-holders on the last day (18 Aug), enabling exhibitors to test the response from consumers and raise brand awareness. There will be seminars with industry experts to discuss such topics as business opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative, halal food certification, innovative food technology, as well as food testing and certification, giving trade buyers the latest market information.

Other events include the launch of the 2018-2019 Wan Chai a La Carte food and culture map, a seminar on herbal tea, product demonstrations and lucky draws. In sessions jointly organised by the HKTDC, the Food and Health Bureau and the Committee on Reduction of Salt and Sugar in Food, several star chefs will demonstrate "less salt, less sugar" recipes to promote healthy living. There will also be a "Hong Kong's Action on Salt and Sugar Reduction" seminar to help visitors adopt healthy eating habits. Tech-savvy visitors can also join the launch event of augmented reality (AR) app "TastAR", which allows users to view 3D images of gourmet dishes overlaid through the app.

The third Beauty & Wellness Expo will bring together more than 100 exhibitors, featuring a wide selection of skin care, hair care and home-electronic beauty and wellness products. For the first time, the HKTDC will cooperate with Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) to launch a brand-new "K-Beauty Expo Hong Kong" pavilion, under the theme of "Stylish K-Beauty". KINTEX will bring 30 Korean exhibitors to present their latest beauty products, including the "black peeling pad" black charcoal exfoliating wipe mask from the hot Korean brand RiRe All Kill, men's skincare products from the popular brand Miviento, USB rechargeable eyelash curlers and organic skincare products suitable for users with sensitive skin.

There will be exciting activities such as product demonstrations, sharing sessions on summertime make-up tips and the latest hair-styling tips. Yoko Tsang, a dietary therapist and beauty expert, will conduct a cooking demonstration of fish maw, while the beauty key opinion leader Snowwhitewhite will share knowledge on skincare and make-up.

The popular Home Delights Expo will return in its fifth edition, featuring 180 exhibitors with a range of quality electric and kitchen appliances as well as household products. They include the IHC thermostat patented cooking pot and a filter bottle certified by the German technical inspection association TUV. A highlight of the fair, the Avenue of Delights, will host 45 exhibitors featuring various renowned names including STAUB, CLP, Dyson, Kenwood, German Pool, OTO, Tiger, Philips and Towngas.

Visitors can bid for featured household appliances and products at the popular Smart Bidding event. Orange Tam, founder of Juppuk, a company providing a home tidy-up service, will share tips on reducing unnecessary household items and storage.

Tea Fair: Trading platform for Tea Business (16-18 Aug)

The 10th Hong Kong International Tea Fair will open exclusively to trade buyers on the first two days before welcoming public ticket-holders on the last day. The three-day fair will feature more than 240 exhibitors from seven countries and regions, with the debut launch of the Taiwan pavilion this year. One of the highlighted products is an oolong tea produced exclusively in Taiwan. It is unique in that a tea green leafhopper must bite the tea leaves to produce a unique aromatic honey-like sweetness. The fair will also feature other products such as a pair of Qing Dynasty covered bowls, a perfectly preserved 1950s Red Label Tea Cake and the Japanese Kyo-Hojicha Paste that can be mixed with other food ingredients for flavouring.

The International KamCha Competition 2018 Hong Kong Style Milk Tea - 10th Anniversary Special, organised by the Association of Coffee and Tea of Hong Kong, will hold its International Final at the Tea Fair on 18 Aug. Representatives from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Melbourne and Toronto will compete for the KamCha title. Combining technology and traditional skills, an artificial-intelligence (AI) robotic arm will give a brewing demonstration on the spot. The International Yuan Yang Final will be staged on-site as well, with local participants competing for the winning title.

The highlighted Hong Kong International Tea Competition 2018 will see exhibitors compete for various awards, such as "The Best Aroma Award" and "The Best Taste Award" among seven tea categories. Visitors will be able to taste the award-winning teas free of charge on 18 Aug when the fair opens to public ticket-holders. Other activities include a series of tea forums delivered by industry experts on such topics as antique teaware and cooking with tea. Venerable Chang Lin will discuss "Tea and Zen" to provide an extraordinary experience for tea lovers. Events dedicated for trade buyers include tea tasting sessions, tea art performances, a seminar on "Capturing the Tea Business from the 'Y' and 'Z' Generation" as well as a buyer forum.

ICMCM: Unveiling the Latest Development of Ben Cao (16-17 Aug)

Organised by the HKTDC and Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM) is open for free registration by industry players wishing to obtain the latest market insights. In commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the birth of Li Shizhen, author of Compendium of Materia Medica, the conference will share the development of Ben Cao (a pharmacopoeia of Chinese herbal medicine) and its potential expansion. There will be 17 distinguished speakers from renowned institutions in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the US. These include Hong Kong Baptist University, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Seoul National University, St Petersburg State University and the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

On 18 Aug, public ticket-holders can take part in the Chinese Medicine Health Public Forum sessions where professional practitioners will discuss Chinese medicine dietary therapy for skin problems, anaemia and blood pressure control, diabetes, gastroenteritis, respiratory care and seasonal healthcare diets.

Lead the Scene, Let's Go Green!

To encourage visitors and exhibitors to reduce waste, the HKTDC will continue to cooperate with "Food For Good" and "Food Angel" to collect and recycle packaged edible food and food waste at the fairground, and invite exhibitors to donate food to needy communities after the fair. The HKTDC also encourages exhibitors and visitors to follow green tips such as sorting recyclable waste into recycle bins placed at the fairground. Visitors can also bring their own utensils, food boxes, water bottles and shopping bags.

Morning Admission Ticket to Attract More Public Visitors

This year, the HKTDC introduces the Morning Admission Ticket at HK$10 per person for ticket-holders visiting before noon on 16, 17 and 20 Aug. There will also be Night Admission Ticket at HK$10 for ticket-holders to enter after 6pm on 16-19 Aug, with a top-up fee of HK$15 for admission to the Gourmet Zone on the same day. Tickets are available for sale from 2 Aug at designated 7-Eleven and Circle K convenience stores, as well as Hong Kong Ticketing (www.hkticketing.com), while e-tickets will be available on Tap & Go Mobile Wallet and Octopus App (Octopus card or O! ePay). For ticketing details, please visit the HKTDC Food Expo website.

This press release is released by Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG) on behalf of Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). Please feel free to contact the persons below for any further questions.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing business insights and information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. Please visit www.hktdc.com/aboutus or follow us on Google+, Twitter@hktdc, LinkedIn.

The 29th Food Expo, the 10th Hong Kong International Tea Fair, the third Beauty & Wellness Expo, the fifth Home Delights Expo and the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products will open on 16 August at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, introduces the highlights of the events at a press conference today.

In its 29th edition, the Food Expo will feature a record number of more than 1,560 exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions, bringing a wide range of international food and drinks to food lovers and trade buyers.